One would imagine listening to the Minister that there were no differences whatever between the British and Irish Governments on the issue of the administration of justice. I should like to ask the Minister if it is the case that there are no differences.

At the press conference I said that there would be no reason for an Anglo-Irish Conference if we agreed all the time. Of course there are differences of emphasis and of approach and the whole purpose of having the conference is to ensure that those matters are discussed and a consensus of agreement reached. I would not make any claim of that kind.

I should like to ask the Minister if, in view of the most recent statement by the Northern Secretary, Mr. King, in Oxford on Friday to the effect that there was a commitment to consider fairly any proposals that might help tackle the issue of confidence in the administration of justice, he is happy that this issue will be resolved by 1 December?

I cannot speculate regarding the future and I do not have any way of making an assessment of that kind at this stage. We will try to get agreement on issues as soon as we can and if we do not fully succeed at all times, the process must continue and we will try again. We should realise that the process is not about instant solutions, it is about getting down to the painful business of settling a matter which has bedevilled this island and relations between Britain and Ireland for hundreds of years.

This is very hard to take.

The road to Damascus leads to Belfast.